Intamin

Knott's Berry Farm has agreed to a financial settlement with the family of a 12-year-old boy who was seriously injured during a 2009 accident on the Xcelerator roller coaster. "There's a confidential settlement," said Art Morgan, the family's attorney. "We can't say the amount. " A Knott's spokesperson declined to comment on the settlement. Kyle Wheeler was sitting in the front row of Xcelerator when the roller coaster's launch cable snapped, whipped toward the riders and split the fiberglass car in half.

A new era of towering thrill rides debuting over the next few years promises to alter the skylines of theme parks around the world. Photos: New towering thrill rides on the horizon Free-fall drop towers and skyrocketing space shots have been part of the theme park landscape for decades, but the next generation of sky-scraping attractions will significantly ramp up pulse rates while reaching once unimagined heights. Not too long ago, 300 feet was considered tall in the theme park universe.

The first volleys of the next roller coaster revolution have been fired in the forested Idaho panhandle, the emerging epicenter of thrill ride innovation. Located in the small town of Hayden, Idaho, Rocky Mountain Construction has burst onto the ride manufacturing scene seemingly out of nowhere, shaking the theme park industry like a rumbling coaster train rocketing along a rickety old track with plans to build two looping wooden coasters in 2013. > Photos: Rocky Mountain and the history of looping wooden coasters Not since the coaster wars of the 1980s and '90s have the possibilities for thrill rides, new and revamped,   seemed so promising.

A $12-million roller coaster at a Scandinavian theme park will take riders on an off-road trek aboard all-terrain vehicles through a Mayan jungle in search of lost treasure. Photos: Juvelen launch coaster at Djurs Sommerland The dual-launch coaster themed to look like 4x4 quads is set to debut May 4 at Djurs Sommerland in Denmark. Juvelen, Danish for jewel, will take coaster riders on a four-wheeler journey in a hunt for lost gemstones. Reaching speeds of 50 mph along 3,330 feet of track, the ATV-style coaster trains will travel through a jungle setting dotted with waterfalls, stone totems and Mayan temples.

Six Flags Magic Mountain will add a new 40-story thrill ride on June 30 themed to DC Comics villain Lex Luthor that will rank as the world's tallest and fastest drop tower. > Photos: New attractions coming to Six Flags parks in 2012 The 400-foot-tall Lex Luthor: Drop of Doom will be attached to both sides of the Valencia amusement park's 415-foot-tall Superman: Escape from Krypton coaster tower. After ascending to the top of the new drop tower, Lex Luthor riders will freefall for five seconds at speeds reaching 85 miles per hour before a magnetic braking system stops the drop.

Billed as the world's tallest water ride, the $26-million Divertical at  Italy's Mirabilandia theme park will combine a shoot-the-chutes flume and a roller coaster track with an offshore powerboat racing theme. PHOTOS: Divertical water coaster at Mirabilandia Debuting June 16, the Divertical water coaster will feature an innovative elevator lift system that carries the 10-person boats to the top of the 197-foot-tall ride. From there, riders will descend a 45-degree water flume at speeds topping 65 mph. After a tidal wave-like splash, the train will continue along a coaster track over air-time hills and hairpin turns before dropping into a second splashdown pool.

A new era of towering thrill rides debuting over the next few years promises to alter the skylines of theme parks around the world. Photos: New towering thrill rides on the horizon Free-fall drop towers and skyrocketing space shots have been part of the theme park landscape for decades, but the next generation of sky-scraping attractions will significantly ramp up pulse rates while reaching once unimagined heights. Not too long ago, 300 feet was considered tall in the theme park universe.

While theme parks often add water parks to attract more visitors and encourage longer stays,  Italy's Etnaland water park will introduce a twist on the trend by opening a theme park in 2013. PHOTOS: Etnaland theme park set to open in 2013 Set to debut in March 2013, Etnaland's new theme park will feature 27 attractions including roller coasters, thrill rides, dark rides and water rides. Park World reports that several of the theme park attractions may soft-open in late 2012.

A $12-million roller coaster at a Scandinavian theme park will take riders on an off-road trek aboard all-terrain vehicles through a Mayan jungle in search of lost treasure. Photos: Juvelen launch coaster at Djurs Sommerland The dual-launch coaster themed to look like 4x4 quads is set to debut May 4 at Djurs Sommerland in Denmark. Juvelen, Danish for jewel, will take coaster riders on a four-wheeler journey in a hunt for lost gemstones. Reaching speeds of 50 mph along 3,330 feet of track, the ATV-style coaster trains will travel through a jungle setting dotted with waterfalls, stone totems and Mayan temples.

Hersheypark will add a first-of-its-kind $25-million steel roller coaster in May that will be the tallest, fastest and longest at the Pennsylvania theme park. > Photos: Skyrush coaster at Hersheypark After a yearlong viral marketing campaign that teased fans with hints and clues about " Attraction 2012 ," Hersheypark unveiled plans Tuesday for an Intamin Wing Mega coaster , with winged seats, called Skyrush. Under construction in the Comet Hollow section of Hersheypark , the 200-foot-tall Skyrush coaster will feature a near-vertical 85-degree first drop followed by four high-speed banking turns and five airtime hills at speeds reaching 75 mph. The 3,600-foot-long Skyrush track will travel along a creek and cross over the 1947 Comet out-and-back wooden coaster.

The first volleys of the next roller coaster revolution have been fired in the forested Idaho panhandle, the emerging epicenter of thrill ride innovation. Located in the small town of Hayden, Idaho, Rocky Mountain Construction has burst onto the ride manufacturing scene seemingly out of nowhere, shaking the theme park industry like a rumbling coaster train rocketing along a rickety old track with plans to build two looping wooden coasters in 2013. > Photos: Rocky Mountain and the history of looping wooden coasters Not since the coaster wars of the 1980s and '90s have the possibilities for thrill rides, new and revamped,   seemed so promising.

While theme parks often add water parks to attract more visitors and encourage longer stays,  Italy's Etnaland water park will introduce a twist on the trend by opening a theme park in 2013. PHOTOS: Etnaland theme park set to open in 2013 Set to debut in March 2013, Etnaland's new theme park will feature 27 attractions including roller coasters, thrill rides, dark rides and water rides. Park World reports that several of the theme park attractions may soft-open in late 2012.

Dino Land theme park in China recently unveiled the $20-million Dinoconda , a thrilling fourth-dimension roller coaster with independently rotating seats. PHOTOS: Dinoconda 4-D coaster at China's Dino Land Located in Changzhou about two hours west of Shanghai, the Chinese park known as the "Jurassic Park of the East" features roller coasters, thrill rides and attractions themed to dinosaurs and mythical creatures. The mechanically complex coaster boasts wing-shaped vehicles with seats that rotate head over heels, both forward and backward.

Billed as the world's tallest water ride, the $26-million Divertical at  Italy's Mirabilandia theme park will combine a shoot-the-chutes flume and a roller coaster track with an offshore powerboat racing theme. PHOTOS: Divertical water coaster at Mirabilandia Debuting June 16, the Divertical water coaster will feature an innovative elevator lift system that carries the 10-person boats to the top of the 197-foot-tall ride. From there, riders will descend a 45-degree water flume at speeds topping 65 mph. After a tidal wave-like splash, the train will continue along a coaster track over air-time hills and hairpin turns before dropping into a second splashdown pool.

The new Black Widow pendulum swing coming to Kennywood in 2012 will fling riders through the air like pint-size passengers on an enormous spinning Frisbee. > Photos: Black Widow thrill ride at Kennywood The 90-foot-tall thrill ride is set to debut May 17 with opening of the West Mifflin, Pa., theme park for the summer season. Riders will sit in 40 outward facing coaster-style seats as a counterclockwise-spinning circular gondola swings back and forth in a pendulum motion.

Six Flags Magic Mountain will add a new 40-story thrill ride on June 30 themed to DC Comics villain Lex Luthor that will rank as the world's tallest and fastest drop tower. > Photos: New attractions coming to Six Flags parks in 2012 The 400-foot-tall Lex Luthor: Drop of Doom will be attached to both sides of the Valencia amusement park's 415-foot-tall Superman: Escape from Krypton coaster tower. After ascending to the top of the new drop tower, Lex Luthor riders will freefall for five seconds at speeds reaching 85 miles per hour before a magnetic braking system stops the drop.

The new Black Widow pendulum swing coming to Kennywood in 2012 will fling riders through the air like pint-size passengers on an enormous spinning Frisbee. > Photos: Black Widow thrill ride at Kennywood The 90-foot-tall thrill ride is set to debut May 17 with opening of the West Mifflin, Pa., theme park for the summer season. Riders will sit in 40 outward facing coaster-style seats as a counterclockwise-spinning circular gondola swings back and forth in a pendulum motion.

Dino Land theme park in China recently unveiled the $20-million Dinoconda , a thrilling fourth-dimension roller coaster with independently rotating seats. PHOTOS: Dinoconda 4-D coaster at China's Dino Land Located in Changzhou about two hours west of Shanghai, the Chinese park known as the "Jurassic Park of the East" features roller coasters, thrill rides and attractions themed to dinosaurs and mythical creatures. The mechanically complex coaster boasts wing-shaped vehicles with seats that rotate head over heels, both forward and backward.

Knott's Berry Farm has agreed to a financial settlement with the family of a 12-year-old boy who was seriously injured during a 2009 accident on the Xcelerator roller coaster. "There's a confidential settlement," said Art Morgan, the family's attorney. "We can't say the amount. " A Knott's spokesperson declined to comment on the settlement. Kyle Wheeler was sitting in the front row of Xcelerator when the roller coaster's launch cable snapped, whipped toward the riders and split the fiberglass car in half.

Hersheypark will add a first-of-its-kind $25-million steel roller coaster in May that will be the tallest, fastest and longest at the Pennsylvania theme park. > Photos: Skyrush coaster at Hersheypark After a yearlong viral marketing campaign that teased fans with hints and clues about " Attraction 2012 ," Hersheypark unveiled plans Tuesday for an Intamin Wing Mega coaster , with winged seats, called Skyrush. Under construction in the Comet Hollow section of Hersheypark , the 200-foot-tall Skyrush coaster will feature a near-vertical 85-degree first drop followed by four high-speed banking turns and five airtime hills at speeds reaching 75 mph. The 3,600-foot-long Skyrush track will travel along a creek and cross over the 1947 Comet out-and-back wooden coaster.